Kathryn's Sacrifice
by QueenRomana
Summary: Voyager has been taken over by aliens. How will the cunning Captain get out of this one? No pairing, unless you squint.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my first story on this site, so I would really appreciate any feedback you have! I'm looking to beceome a much better writer and I'm guessing that actually writing things will help! So I'm not going to publish another chapter unless someone reviews this one, but I will keep working, so if you keep reviewing I'll keep posting.

I haven't had this beta-ed, firstly because I don't really know what it is, secondly because I think I'm very good at grammar anyway.

Disclaimer: Just like everyone else on this site, I really don't own any of the Star Treks nor their characters. The new aliens are the only things that are mine. I'd rather not be sued, thanks =]

* * *

It all happened so fast, no one was quite prepared for it.

One minute, Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager and her crew were sailing along just fine, trying to shorten the journey home that should take 75 years, and the next they faced a huge ship that seemed to come out of nowhere. Kathryn didn't even have time to sound Red Alert and throw up the shields before armed humanoids overtook the bridge and held captive each of the officers. She stood facing a man, clearly their leader, who announced "We are taking over the ship."

_Obviously_, she thought. "Mr. Chakotay," she called to her first officer without turning her head in the slightest.

"Yes Captain," she heard him answer.

"We will be in my ready room. You have the bridge." She led the way.

Inside, she sat at her desk and the alien sat in one of the chairs opposite. For a minute, they only examined each other. The alien was very humanoid, and very handsome by human standards. He had blonde hair and green eyes, very different from the other members of his crew. While he could have passed for human, they were ogre-like and clearly alien. This man in front of her was dangerous, though; Kathryn could tell by the gleam of a battle already won in his eyes and how he held himself: back straight, chin up. He knew that he was superior to her and wasn't afraid to hide it. This would be an interesting conversation. She finally broke the silence with a very exasperated, "Who are you?"

"I am Kartok of the Thayn," he answered.

"And why are you here?"

"We are taking over the ship."

"Our ship is of no use to you. We are still making repairs from the last battles we had. Besides, yours must be more advanced than ours if you could appear out of thin air."

"We could sell it."

"Only a fool would buy such a broken ship."

"The warp core."

"How would you transport it? Would you tow the whole ship to the nearest buyer?"

After some consideration, he replied "I suppose not."

Kathryn was relieved, but she did not show it. "Then you have no use for us."

But Kartok was not so hasty. He said with a wicked smile "Not so fast Captain…"

"Janeway. Kathryn Janeway."

"Well, Captain Janeway, if the ship has no use to us, then it does not even deserve to exist as far as I'm concerned. We will leave, but your ship, and your crew, will not."

Though she managed to control her facial expression, Kathryn was sure her face paled as her mind whirled through the possibilities of things they could take.

"We have water," she said remembering the early wants of the delta tribe people.

"As do we."

"Replicators."

"Previously installed."

"Holodeck?" Tom Paris would not be happy with this suggestion, but at this point she was getting desperate. She was running out of things to give.

"An amusing choice, Captain, but we have them already. If that is all, I think we'll just…"

"Wait." She stood up. This was their final option. It was either this, or death in the battle that would ensue. "Take me."

Kartok was not as surprised by this suggestion as would be expected; she hoped he hadn't been leading up to this the entire time. But he was a good negotiator and asked "Why should I do that?"

Kathryn was prepared for this one. "Firstly, you would get more from this meeting then a pile of debris and some repairs. Secondly, I'm sure there are things to be done on your ship that no one wants to do. And, if you were to have no more use for me, I could be sold.

He seemed intrigued by this, she hoped. _How odd that my only wish now is to leave this ship, and when I do I will only want to come back._

"But I could say the same for the rest of the crew, and if I took them all I would have much more manpower, and more money."

Kathryn had to stay on her toes to keep ahead of this man; he was too logical, too cunning. This was the last thing she wanted to say. "Because for as long as you leave Voyager alone, I will willingly do whatever you wish."

Now he had a curious expression on his face that he no longer tried to hide. He had wanted this, she knew it. But what other choice did she have? Her heart was pounding like a snare drum, leading up to the final answer. She thought she might break in two: a noble half, wanting him to say yes and save the crew, and the scared little girl she used to be terrified of what would happen if he did.

"Anything?" he confirmed.

"Anything," she whispered and stared at the ceiling, the ground, her desk, anywhere but his piercing green eyes.

"Captain Kathryn Janeway, I do believe we have a deal."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Kathryn's stomach did a flip-flop as her body tried to control her opposite emotions: the relief of the crew's safety and the fear for her own. She listened to Kartok continue:

"I will be sending a dress for you to wear sometime in the next few hours. I will come back to get you in one day." He left the room.

Kathryn sat down, letting a whoosh of air out of her lungs; she hadn't realized she had been holding her breath. Her heart was pumping like a steam engine and her thoughts were scattered, so she took another to steady herself. She had to be completely in control when she told Chakotay what they had decided, so she made an entry in her log to test her voice.

"Captain's log, stardate 5043.2…"

The entry was short and to the point, the equivalent of what her conversation with Chakotay would be like. Her preparation, in total, took only a minute. With a deep breath she left her ready room.

On the bridge, no one had said a word. Kathryn saw them just as quiet as when she had left them, obediently doing their work as if nothing had happened. She walked over to Chakotay and opened her mouth to speak. As she did so, the underlying tension in the room got even tenser, and the silence more menacing as 10 ears perked up. They were all working, but not one was paying attention to what they were doing. No one wanted to miss this.

She glanced around with and amused smile. "Alright, I know you're all listening, but frankly you have a right to know. They are called the Thayn, their leader is Kartok and they left because I made a bargain with them."

"What did you give them?" Chakotay asked.

She hesitated before she answered "Me."

The silence of before was nothing compared to this: even the engine seemed to stop and the only sound on the bridge was of 10 jaws hitting the ground. Tom Paris looked like he had eaten too much of Neelix's cooking; Harry looked like he was about to cry; Tuvok only raised his eyebrow and Commander Chakotay was showing more emotion than he ever had.

"Captain, you had no right to…"

"I had every right Commander," she interrupted with eyes ablaze. "I did everything necessary to preserve this ship, and this was the only option where I could be certain that everyone on this ship could be safe."

"Except for yourself."

"Yes Commander, but my safety is not the main issue here and I'm sure you will do better without me than if we had no ship." Before he could protest she continued "Commander Chakotay, I hereby resign from my commission and promote you to Captain. Congratulations. I will be in my quarters. Please send someone with a package that will arrive for me in the transporter room."

She stalked off, and even after the doors closed behind her, Captain Chakotay had not said a word.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Kathryn was sitting in her quarters when she heard the chime of the door.

"Come in," she called and was very surprised to see Chakotay, who glanced away, embarrassed. Kathryn supposed he had good reason to be; she had not been expecting anyone, so she was in her nightgown covered by a bathrobe. Her hair was in a loose ponytail draping over her shoulder and she had been on the couch, sipping a cup of coffee, gazing wistfully out the window when he had come in.

"No, it's alright," she said and then thought _I guess this will be the most decent thing I'll be wearing for a while_, but she did not say it; Chakotay didn't seem to be in the mood for jokes. He didn't say anything, and she started to put her cup down on the table. "I guess you're my superior now, I should have stood up. This will take some getting used to."

"No, no," he protested, "As far as I'm concerned, you're in charge until you leave the ship, Captain."

"And as far as I'm concerned, you are, Captain," she retorted vehemently. "I insist that you call me Kathryn."

"Well then, Kathryn," this word came slowly and awkwardly off his tongue, "I order you to relax. You do not have to salute any officer on board this ship."

She nodded and resumed her position. "Please, sit," she said and Captain Chakotay joined her. "Now, what was it you came for?"

Chakotay moistened his lips and began. "I came to thank you. You are doing the most brave and noble thing possible for this ship, and I wanted you to be sure you knew the crew appreciated. You've given your freedom for us."

She smiled warmly at this. "Thank you, Captain, but I'm sure you would have done the same."

"I also wanted to discuss the rescue mission."

At this, Kathryn's eyes turned cold. "There will be none." Chakotay tried to protest this, but she continued "It is impossible for you to beat this ship or outrun it, and I will not have the lives I sacrificed myself for try to return the favor. As long as I am alive, they will not seek out this ship, so your mission is to go the opposite direction of their ship when it leaves. Is that clear?"

He nodded somberly at this. "That was all, Ca—Kathryn, so I will leave you to your thoughts. Good luck."

No sooner had he left, than the chime sounded again. It was Tuvok this time, who also seemed mildly uncomfortable with her attire. Unlike Chakotay, though, he got right to the point. "You have made a very illogical choice, I believe," he said gravely. "Unlike many others, you have a position of importance on this ship. You should have sent someone who was disposable."

"Mr. Tuvok," she said exasperatedly, "You know I could never send anyone in place of me. It is my job to make sure these people stay safe. This was the only option available."

He wisely chose not to press the subject, instead saying, "The Doctor, after being informed of the situation, asked to see you in Sickbay so that he could give you a medical examination before you…left.

She frowned with distaste, but then thought of the Doctor. "How did he take it?"

"At an overall glance, it seemed that he was merely annoyed at being the last to know, but I surmise that this was an attempt to mask his troubled thoughts of your departure."

Tuvok left, and the final chime of the door was the delivery of the dress. "Thank you, Crewman," she said and he replied "No, thank you, Captain."

"Kathryn," she corrected him, but he had already left. Suddenly, she was exhausted, and the last thing she wanted to do was leave her quarters, into the corridors where she would be prone to piercing eyes and concerned whispers, but she had to see the Doctor. He was the only one who wouldn't be there when she said goodbye.

~*~

"Ah, Captain—"

"Kathryn."

"Oh, of course, you aren't in charge any more, are you? _That_ might have been something to inform your Chief Medical Officer of. Now I have to fit your tests in somewhere, I'm very busy you know, and—"

"Doctor," she stopped his tirade with a single word as she caught his arm. "I'm sorry."

He looked at her, but couldn't keep eye contact with her swimming eyes for very long. "I know," he said.

She smiled. He had understood.

* * *

A/N: Not quite as long as the first one, but the next one will be even longer, I promise!

You guys must be on the same wavelength as me or something, a lot of your suggestions I had already planned to write in! If it didn't happen this chapter, it's probably coming in the next one.

So... keep reviewing! Keep suggesting!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Kathryn was up bright and early waiting for B'Elanna and Kes to come and help her into her dress. She hadn't even looked at it yet: that was not something she thought she should do alone. Her hair had just dried from the shower when the door chimed, announcing two very distressed women. Kes immediately smothered her in a hug; B'Elanna was a little more composed, but she still asked "Wasn't there anything else you could give them?"

"I don't have a death wish B'Elanna," she said with an amused grin, but she quickly sobered and added, "There was nothing else they would take." Then she saw what the girls had brought with them.

Kathryn had originally assumed that B'Elanna, being part Klingon, wouldn't care too much about the final product once Kathryn was in the dress, so she was horrified when she saw she toted a makeup bag practically as big as the ship.

"We borrowed the stuff from some of the girls on my deck," Kes said in explanation to Kathryn's shock.

"Don't even try to protest," warned B'Elanna, "I spent all night learning how to put on mascara and I won't have it go to waste. Besides, your crew needs to remember a pretty captain."

They dragged the still stuttering Kathryn over to the dress and held it up for her. Her first thought was that it wasn't actually that bad. It was deep burgundy, very long, quite beautiful, and overly modest. Every inch of her would covered by this dress except for her face. It even came with silky black gloves and a thick veil that was practically opaque. As Kathryn took in the dress, B'Elanna and Kes lamented that the gloves made it unnecessary to paint her nails ("But I have such a pretty red that would be perfect!") then decided to paint them anyway. The veil could always be put on after they got to the transporter room, so the makeup would not be hindered. They pulled the dress on delicately over her white slip, (fortunately it fit; no one was sure how Kartok would have felt to a hem in his dress, and they certainly weren't going to ask) then dragged her over to a chair by her mirror, spun it around and got to work.

~*~

"He will be here in one hour."

Chakotay had been let in just as the girls finished. They had chattered incessantly about anything and everything at first, but as the clock ticked down, their sentences were shorter, their voices quieter, and their eyes wetter. The finishing touches had been done in silence, and now Kathryn was even more beautiful than before. Her hair had been brushed by B'Elanna until all the knots cowered with fear and wouldn't return for at least a week. B'Elanna then joined Kes in attacking her face, and now her blue eyes were accented by a burgundy eyeshadow and black eyeliner.

They left Kathryn alone for the last hour, promising to be back later. At first, she just started at her face in the mirror. Her friends had done a wonderful job, and she refused to mess it up with tears. She used her hour well, putting in personal recommendations for her officers and writing a goodbye letter to her family and friends on Earth. Someday, hopefully, Chakotay would be able to deliver it.

Too soon, Chakotay, B'Elanna and Kes were back to escort her to the transporter room, where Kartok was waiting. When she stepped out into the corridor, she was touched to no end to see rows of her crewmen lining the walls. As they saw her, they all stood to attention. She smiled and her vision blurred. She wanted to say thank you, to show them how much they had meant to her, but she must be strong and there would be no way to do that without crying. The halls were lined all the way to the transporter room, and Kathryn reflected that if she had a bouquet, it would be like a wedding procession; or with a coffin, a funeral procession.

Finally, she made it to the transporter room, which was no safer than the halls. Her bridge crew stood there, glaring at Kartok, but their gazes softened as Kathryn came in, and she almost lost her death grip on control. The three bridesmaids or pallbearers got in line with the rest. Wordlessly, she looked into their eyes and gave each of them a hug that she wished would say so much more than she could.

By the end, the only dry eyed people in the room were a stolid Tuvok, an impatient Kartok, and Kathryn herself. She walked onto the transporter and Kartok began to smile. He slowly flipped the veil to cover her face as she gave her final command:

"Energize."

* * *

A/N: So, I said it was going to be longer... but it's not. On the plus side, the shorter entries mean I can post more often!

Please keep reviewing!! I'll post the next one in two or three days (probably two).


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Chakotay sighed. It had been one day since they had last seen Kathryn, and he was exhausted. A lot had happened since then, and it had been one heck of a ride.

As soon as Kathryn had left, he stood in front of the officers assembled.

"I have a few things to say before we leave," he said. The officers tried to focus on their new captain and not on the events of just moments ago. He paced the ground in front of them as he tried to find the words to say what he wanted.

"Firstly, Kathryn did not have the authority to promote me to Captain since she was only a civilian at the time. I'd prefer that you continue to address me as Commander." They nodded warily, what was he thinking?

"She also," he continued, "did not have the authority to order me not to rescue her." Everyone perked up a little at this, and B'Elanna's countenance formed a wry smile. "I don't want to assume that everyone would be willing to put themselves in danger for her, so I want you to talk about it. Bring it up, say that I'm considering it, and see what the rest of the crew says. By tomorrow, I want to know if you and the majority of the crew are willing to try to get her back. Dismissed."

They walked out briskly, whispering amongst each other. He could see that a lot of them had already made up their minds, but he hoped that the less important members of this ship would also be allowed a say in their final decision.

Throughout the day he heard everyone talking in the corridors. The officers had done their job well; everyone knew what he was planning. Chakotay ended up spending most of his off duty time in his quarters: he didn't want people to make their decisions based on whether or not he was listening. Waiting until the morning was pure torture, but he would give everyone the time they needed. When he went to bed, his mind whirled through the steps of his barely conceived plan.

"We've decided," said B'Elanna, her special presence on the bridge warranted by the special occasion.

"…And?" Chakotay inquired after a few seconds of silence.

"You have to understand, sir, the senior officers were with you unanimously…"

Chakotay tensed and his heart sank. He felt a "but" coming.

"…but the lower ranks aren't as willing. But they agreed," she pressed on, and Chakotay perked up with the double negative, "As long as you have a plan."

He smiled. "I do." He called a senior staff meeting and in no time they were assembled, waiting to hear what he would say.

He began, "After she told us what had happened, I knew exactly who I had to talk to…"

~*~

"Neelix!" Chakotay called into the kitchen.

A Talaxian face appeared from behind the counter. "Oh Commander! I—I'm sorry, I mean… Captain, of course. I heard what happened! Is the capta—I mean, is she alright?"

"I think she just needs to be alone right now, Neelix. I actually needed to ask you something: What do you know about the Thayn?"

"Is that who did this?!?" He became even more horrified. "Oh no, I'm sorry, I should have warned you about them, but I never thought they would attack a starship! As far as I knew, they only raided the planets—"

"What will they do to her?"

"Nobody knows. They used to show up on Rinax once and a while, demanding anything we had, taking prisoners, that sort of thing."

"And there was nothing you could do?"

"Well, no. You saw them, they're practically invincible."

Chakotay's shoulders sagged. He couldn't give up, but it didn't seem like there was anything he could do.

"I'm so sorry," Neelix continued. "I just never even dreamed that they would attack a starship!"

Chakotay perked up at this. "Why not?"

"Well, because their sensors are a load of nonsense. As long as your shields are up, you're invisible."

~*~

"So, once we get near them, all we have to do is find a way to get her off: they'll never be able to find us."

The officers were quiet, trying to decide what the crew would want them to do.

"I think it will work," said B'Elanna. "I mean, as long as we can trust Neelix."

"He hasn't been wrong yet," put in Tom. "I agree with B'Elanna."

"But how are we going to get on the ship?" asked Harry.

"We'll cross that bridge when it comes," Chakotay said with much authority. Truthfully, he hadn't thought of that yet. "First, we have to find them. Neelix showed me how to track their ion trail: they're currently heading towards a planet not too much out of our way. Neelix estimated that they would be there for about a week, plus the two days spent getting there, so if we stay at warp 5, we should make it in plenty of time. That is, if you agree."

The crew glanced around at each other, and B'Elanna stepped up to be the spokesperson. "Your plan may not be perfect Chakotay, but we have a considerable advantage with our shields. We trust you, so let's do it."

He finally relaxed; hopefully, the hardest part was over. Now all they needed to do was rescue the captain.

~*~

"You're very beautiful Ms. Janeway."

She still stood in her red dress, his hand under her chin forcing her to look him in the eye. She tried to mask her fear with anger, but her heartbeat would easily give her away.

"I have to leave for my shift. There's a change of clothes for you in the dresser." He kissed her cheek, then whispered in her ear. "I'll see you when I get back."

She bowed her head in defeat. "Yes Kartok."

* * *

A/N: Okay, so I do actually have a plan, I just wanted to know what you guys thought it would be. Leave a comment or something, and you'll figure out how close you were in one or two chapters!

The next one... is giving me some trouble. I'll do my best to get it out by Friday, but if it isn't up then, don't expect it until Sunday. Sorry =[

But hey, did you notice? This one is longer!!

And I just wanted to make it clear: Kathryn has not been wearing the red dress for three days. That part doesn't correspond with the rest.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"…don't particularly like them."

Kathryn snapped back into focus. She had been daydreaming again, a dangerous thing. Any second Kartok might ask her a question. She struggled to remember what he was talking about: it must have started off about himself, since that was the only interesting subject to him. _The guards!_ She remembered, but there was no need to worry, he hadn't noticed her inattentiveness and he continued on, twirling a lock of her hair around his finger.

"I just needed someone to work for me, someone to do all the manual labor. The ones on the bridge are the most intelligent ones I could find, though they're all just stupid and ugly. They were just waiting for someone like me to give them a purpose," he sighed. "If only I could trust them to be alone for more than a few hours at a time!" He tousled her hair as he got up to leave for his next shift. "I'll see you when I get back."

When the doors closed behind him, she couldn't take it anymore. She stumbled over to the bed, collapsed into a pillow and cried. For the first time after being taken aboard, for the first time after being sentenced to a life in the Delta Quadrant, she cried. When she realized that she was acting like a five year old, she cried even harder. She cried and cried, and didn't stop until she fell asleep.

She didn't wake up until at least an hour later, when she heard a banging on the vent by her bed. She sat up groggily as it became more persistent, and soon a voice called out, "Kathryn? Are you alright? Are you sleeping? Wake up!!" The voice was that of Maha, the girl who resided in the room next door. Communication between prisoners was strictly forbidden, but the girls on this deck kept in contact through the heating ducts. Maha was only 20, but she had been there for two years and on the very first day told Kathryn the daily schedule. Throughout the past week, they had become good friends, as those presented with a common crisis often do.

"Come on, Kathryn, the guards will be here in a few minutes, you need to get changed!" Kathryn's only three outfits were a short blue nightgown, a long navy daytime dress which now needed ironing, and a ratty, patched brown dress which she pulled on in record time. This was for work, the reason the guards were coming. She was just buttoning the last button when a guard came in and dragged her into line with the rest of the girls on this deck.

The job for the 10 of them was scrubbing floors. Every day they would get on their hands and knees and scrub what felt like a mile of corridor over 4 hours. It was just hitting Kathryn that she would be doing this every day for the rest of her life. Her lifelong accomplishment, scrubbing floors, she thought as her vision blurred and her throat choked up. _But no,_ she realized; with every second she survived this torture, Voyager would stay safe. She smiled a little and tried not to imagine what they were doing right now. Needless to say, it didn't work. They were probably light years away by now, trying to push thoughts of her away. Hopefully, they had gotten used to Chakotay being Captain now instead of Commander. She could imagine how frustrated he would get correcting everyone, while also wishing he didn't have to. She was so distracted by her thoughts that she didn't notice when a group of new prisoners shuffled past, not until someone tripped over her extended leg. She automatically turned around to apologize, but couldn't believe what she was looking at.

B'Elanna Torres was lying on the floor behind her.

~*~

B'Elanna was helped to her feet by the women behind her as she winked at her captain to assure her that she was not hallucinating. She could see by her wide open mouth that Kathryn was not yet convinced, but she didn't have any time. When they had finally ironed out the details of the plan, it had been determined that there would be no way to get Kathryn involved in this, because the chances of the two even being on the same deck were slim to none. B'Elanna was paying close attention to the row of prisoners next to her just in case, but she still wouldn't have noticed Kathryn if her hair hadn't been in that familiar bun. She didn't want Kathryn to be totally in the dark when she was rescued, so she got her attention the only way she could think of.

The plan had been relatively simple. Someone would transport down to the planet and get himself or herself captured. Then they only had to disable the ship's shields, which were apparently on at all times, and they could be transported back to _Voyager_. The only snag they faced was who would be going. Chakotay immediately volunteered, but besides the fact that he was acting captain, he had been on the bridge and might be recognized. B'Elanna decided that she should be the one to go, being a woman and an engineer, and after much debate it was agreed. Chakotay was especially reluctant, not wanting to lose more of his original Maquis crew, but even he had to admit that she would have the easiest time working the shields. He had wanted to give her 72 hours for the task, but she had protested "Even an ensign could get the shields offline in that time! I could do it in 36!" 48 was their compromise.

Now that she was in her quarters, B'Elanna was a little less confident that it would be so easy. Finding engineering wouldn't be a problem; the turbolifts were covered in brightly labeled buttons. The problem would come getting out of her quarters in the first place, and not being noticed when she did. There was one advantage; the dress she had been wearing to blend in had very large, unobtrusive pockets in which she had stored a tricorder and phaser.

But there was no time to think of a plan now; her lights had just been turned out and getting herself captured had been exhausting work. She investigated the dresser to find a nightgown, which she promptly changed into and fell asleep.

* * *

A/N: I hope you guys have been liking these, you haven't said anything in the comments which has me worried. Please keep reviewing!!

I can almost guarantee that I'll need at least until Tuesday for this next one, sorry.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

B'Elanna was awakened the next morning when the lights were turned on. _That could __not__ have been more than three hours_, she thought. Her eyelids would not stay open; if she wasn't careful she would fall asleep again. She tried to collect her thoughts as she sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She heard the footsteps of a guard going into the room next door, and suddenly she shot out of bed. She grabbed her gear out of her dress and shoved it under the mattress just before someone came in, took the dress away and shoved some sort of time table at her. When the door closed again, she let out a sigh of relief; she would have to be more careful.

Now she looked at the paper in her hand. The times made no sense to her, but there was a digital clock on the wall that the numbers on the paper corresponded with. Fortunately, these people seemed to also work on a 24 hour system, or close enough anyway, so she had no trouble interpreting her schedule. Apparently, she had an hour before she got some food and went to her work shift for six hours. More food after that, followed by endless hours of down time which she supposed were to allow people used to a different time to adjust.

A plan was beginning to form as she stared at this piece of paper. It was a long shot, but if it worked she might just be able to complete her mission with a day to spare. She would need some of that down time to make it work, though. And the sewing kit.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kathryn's schedule didn't match up with B'Elanna's, so while she was working, Kathryn was trying to write a diary entry. She missed having a personal log to use to collect her thoughts, and fortunately Kartok had provided paper and pen. Problem was, all she could think about was B'Elanna, and she couldn't let that fall into the wrong hands. But looking at the clock, she found she had hours before Kartok arrived, and by then the entry could be ripped into tiny pieces and flushed down the toilet.

So she tried to convince herself that she was seeing things, that the stress was too much for her, that she wanted to be rescued so badly that her mind was imagining she would be. But with it all on paper, it seemed more and more likely she was wrong. Chakotay _would_ want to rescue her; even though he was Maquis, they had become very good friends. Therefore, she would naturally imagine Chakotay if anybody. _Ahh_, but one side argued, _He would never willingly send a member of his crew into danger. He would go himself._ This was true. _But if B'Elanna felt that she was the one to go, she could convince him_, the other side put in. A smile tugged at the corner of Kathryn's mouth as she realized that this was also true. Trying to win an argument against B'Elanna was as futile as…well, as trying to resist the Borg. You would almost rather be dead. And so she battled with herself on paper for an hour, changing her mind this way and that, taking up three full pages until finally she was fed up and disposed of it properly.

Her final conclusion: Thinking about it wouldn't change the situation anyway, and changing sleep schedules had left her in need of many naps. She decided that sleep would be the best thing for her worn out mind. As her eyes closed, she thought of an old 20th century proverb: what will be, will be.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When B'Elanna was shoved back into her room, she did not jump right into her plan. She took a shower. That had been the most manual labor she had done in a long time, and her lack of sleep didn't make it any better. She pulled out the sewing kit afterwards, while her hair dried. Her plan was relatively simple. She would sew pockets into one of her dresses to hold her phaser and tricorder. It probably wouldn't matter that her seamstress skills were practically nonexistent, how hard could a simple stitch be? After she finished that, she would only have to trick the guards into opening her door. They looked stupid enough, so it probably wouldn't be very hard. Then it would be a surprise visit to engineering and a quick transport out.

She did end up encountering a problem, though: apparently sewing was harder than it looked. After a few restarts and some insulting of the thread and scissors, makeshift pockets were present in a casual green dress.

She put the dress on, still hating it. What was this association with girls and dresses? Pants worked much better, and they were more comfortable. Besides, now the pockets bumped awkwardly against her legs. But eventually, she was situated, and so she put her plan into action.

She screamed. Not like a yelp that human females emitted when surprised by a mouse, but a shriek of pure terror. She hoped it was a close enough estimate; her only references were classic horror movies that she was sometimes forced to watch, having never actually made such a sound before. Not even half-human Klingons would show that much fear. That said, it was oddly satisfying, a good way to relieve stress. She would have to try it sometime when she really wanted to punch someone.

As expected, two guards rushed into the room, so she implemented part two. She fainted. This part was not so hard to fake; she just fell to the ground in a heap. Also as expected, one of the guards picked her up and carried her outside. She looked around through half open eyes until she was sure that there was no one else around, after which she pulled her phaser out of her pocket and fired. The unconscious ogre was dragged out of the way, and B'Elanna pulled out her tricorder to scan for bio signs. None appeared to be coming towards her, not any which matched the guard anyway. The bio signs of the prisoners were interfering a little with her scans, but as long as she only focused on the Thayn's body signs, she would be fine.

Getting into the turbolift wasn't a problem, it was just her safety for the few minutes that she was in there that would be challenging. She pressed the button for engineering, but was sure she didn't have the time to reprogram the turbolift to allow no one else to enter. All she could do was pray that no one chose that particular time to run for a quick snack or something.

Fortunately, no one did, and there was no one in the hall where the doors opened. She only had to turn a few more corners and she would be in engineering, she could see the congregation of bio signs about a hundred meters away, and there were no recognizable bio signs between there and here. She prepared for the upcoming battle as she turned the first corner, heart pounding. And then she stopped. Because there was an exception to her assumption that all people in charge had the same bio signs. And he was standing right in front of her.

* * *

A/N: I know, cliffhanger, I'm sorry. Don't worry though! I was going to predict that I needed until friday, but i'll be home from school tomorrow so the next chapter might be done by thursday after all =]

Thank you thank you thank you for the reviews! Keep them coming!!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

When Kathryn woke up, she noticed a few things. First, while she was only semiconscious and her eyes hadn't opened yet, she noticed that her bed felt different, less comfortable, rock-like actually. Eyes still closed, she rolled over and noticed that her clothes had changed. When she decided that she needed a nap, she put on the nightgown, but whatever dress she was wearing now was definitely not that. Finally she opened her eyes, and that was when she noticed that she was no longer in her quarters. She wasn't even sure if she was still on the ship, unless she was on some sort of holodeck. Where ever she was, it had the appearance of a cave. Someone must have changed her clothes, because she was now wearing the original burgundy dress. That was a little too creepy to think about, so she allowed her eyes to sweep the room again. This time, she noticed that she was not alone, and the figure splayed across the floor was undoubtedly…

"B'Elanna!" Kathryn whispered, and dashed to her friend's side, praying she was only asleep. Brushing the hair out of her face, she found a nasty cut on one of her ridges, but she was breathing, and after a few nudges she was awake.

At first, B'Elanna was dazed, but her eyes quickly focused on the face hovering over her. "Captain!" she gasped and sat herself up. "Are you alright? How did you find me? Where are we?"

Now that she was sure B'Elanna was alright, she remembered to be angry. "What were you thinking? I thought I ordered you to leave!"

"Captain, you know we'd never leave you to die," B'Elanna interrupted.

"Kathryn!" Kathryn corrected through her teeth.

B'Elanna ignored her. "Neelix told us about a flaw in their sensors, so we figured we had a good chance. It would have worked too, if I hadn't run into Kartok at the last second. I suppose that's why I'm here," she mused, mostly to herself at this point. "He must have thought I was working with you, so that's why you're here."

"But he'll destroy _Voyager_!" exclaimed Kathryn. It was getting more and more difficult to keep her voice down when all she wanted to do was scream out her frustrations. She wanted to be out of here so badly, but not at the cost of her crew! She jumped to her feet and paced, trying to calm herself down. She wandered towards what she hoped was an exit, but she wasn't that lucky. A force field stopped her before she could get around the bend. She was just about to channel more of her fury into B'Elanna when she heard someone coming and stepped back.

It was Kartok, and he didn't look happy. He opened a panel, punched in some numbers, and the force field flashed once before going out. He strode towards Kathryn, and before she knew it she was on the floor, his slap ringing in her ears. B'Elanna started towards her, but Kartok pulled out a weapon.

"You should know that in all likelihood, only one of you will survive this encounter. One more step, and it will be certainty." B'Elanna stopped dead, and he turned to Kathryn. "You promised. You said that as long as I left your ship alone, you would do whatever I wanted. I kept my side of the bargain, but you didn't. You contacted your ship, gave them our coordinates. It was a foolish hope, and you should be the one to pay the price of this mistake." Kathryn bowed her head and didn't answer, and he raised his weapon.

"Wait!" said B'Elanna, and everyone turned to her. "She didn't send for us, we chased after you! One of our crew members is Talaxian, and he told us about how to find you."

Kartok looked intrigued at this. "Talaxian? Really? But I thought their world had been destroyed?"

B'Elanna looked a little relieved at his change in mood. "Well, he was on their moon, Rinax, at the time, so he survived."

Kartok nodded with understanding, a perfectly calm and conversational expression on his face. "Oh, I see. So then, I guess I should kill you." And he raised the gun again.

"She's lying!" called Kathryn. "I hacked into the ship's communications system and sent them a signal while you were at your shift. I knew they would be able to trace it back to our location."

"Oh and I suppose whoever was monitoring communications just didn't notice your message?" replied B'Elanna sardonically.

"Morse code tends to sound like pretty normal interference."

"Does anyone even _know_ Morse code anymore?"

"You would have known it was taught at the Academy if you hadn't gotten yourself kicked out!"

"And I'm sure everyone paid a lot of attention in _that_ class!"

"Well even you could recognize a simple SOS B'Elanna!"

They stopped their battling abruptly when they heard something they had never expected. Kartok was laughing. His gun was at his side and he was looking at them with a very amused expression on his face. "Your race is most unusual. Instead of fighting for your own life, you are fighting for each other's. For now, you amuse me, but know that tomorrow I will return, and someone will have to tell me the location of your ship."

He walked out, still laughing, turning on the force field behind him. The two just looked at each other, until Kathryn asked "Why can't he find the ship?"

"That's what I was trying to tell you," answered B'Elanna, "Their sensors can't detect a ship when it has its shields up. _Voyager_ isn't very far, but they will never know where, because I don't know where it is either." She sighed, and thrust her hands into her pockets. Suddenly she looked shocked, then turned towards the wall in a heap. Kathryn suddenly became mothering again and rushed to her friend's side.

"Shh… it's okay," she said, but then noticed that B'Elanna wasn't actually crying, and that she had something in her hands.

"I wasn't sure if there were cameras, but I didn't want them to see this." She was holding a phaser. "I added pockets to the dress earlier, and I had left my phaser in them while I looked for engineering. They must have thought the tricorder was the only thing I brought."

Kathryn's countenance now showed her first smile since she had arrived. "Whatever your plan was, you're going to have to fill me in. We might be able to complete it after all."

* * *

A/N: Only a few more chapters left, possibly only one! I'll try my very hardest to get it out in two days, but it might need three.

In the meantime, keep reviewing!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Hours later, something was burning in the brig. The officer stationed outside noticed the smell. He thought for a little bit about what to do. His orders were to never leave the post, but if the ship was on fire, that would be a good thing to know. On a similar note, if the ship wasn't on fire, he shouldn't call anyone to tell them about it. So he decided to go investigate. The décor of the room changed, and soon he was staring into a bonfire. Now he thought a little more quickly: ship on fire bad. He grabbed a fire extinguisher and let down the force field. A bright light and he was out like a light, and Kathryn and B'Elanna came dashing into the corridor. They had made slight modifications on their outfits to make running a little easier, and the singe marks actually made for an interesting design. The extra fabric also made for good kindling. Before they left, Kathryn caught a glimpse of B'Elanna's tricorder on the desk. _Why put this technology so close to us?_ She wondered as she made a quick U-turn and snagged it before they moved on.

Out in the open, they found themselves at a loss for direction. Kathryn picked right, B'Elanna followed. No time was lost turning back, a turbolift was right in front of them. Kathryn stood to the side and opened the doors, B'Elanna held the phaser. Their precautions were fortunately unnecessary; the lift was empty. They dashed in; every second was one second closer to someone discovering their empty cell. B'Elanna mashed the button to engineering, and they traded gadgets for the final battle.

When the doors opened, they stood side by side. B'Elanna watched for bio signs with the tricorder, Kathryn watched for bio signs with the phaser. Neither spoke until B'Elanna announced "Next turn." Kathryn nodded, and she led the way into the room. It took everyone a second to react, which was just enough time for them to get to a console with plenty of cover. B'Elanna was completely obscured by a wall, leaving her plenty of room to work. Kathryn blocked the only opening.

Things were going well for the first minute; there wasn't enough time for everyone to get organized for their surprise attack. But after a while, every guard that Kathryn shot down was replaced by another, and the bridge had long since been notified. "How much longer?" Kathryn called back over the din.

"Only a minute," B'Elanna answered, never taking her eyes from the screen. So it came as a great surprise to her when, after she had pushed the last button, Kathryn was nowhere to be seen. The firing had stopped, something else that she didn't notice. And strangely, they were still there. The shields were down, they were being monitored by Chakotay, but they hadn't been transported away yet. Then she saw where Kathryn was: in the menacing arms of Kartok. Her phaser lay on the floor next to B'Elanna. _Stupid of him not to pick it up_, she thought, and then did so herself. As she raised it, Kathryn spoke.

"It doesn't work on him, B'Elanna. Just drop it," she said, but B'Elanna didn't let go.

"Why won't you just let us go?" She asked, stalling for time.

"I made a bargain: your ship for your captain. If I don't have your captain, I will have to take your ship."

_If you could find it,_ B'Elanna thought, getting more impatient. _Where are you Chakotay?_

~*~

"Transporter Room 2, what is your situation?" Chakotay asked after a few seconds of silence.

"I have a lock on Lieutenant Torres," someone answered, "But something is blocking the captain's signal. Should I beam back the lieutenant?" There was no answer. "Sir?"

"No…" said Chakotay slowly. "No, just wait. I have a feeling B'Elanna will be able to solve this one."

"Yes sir."

~*~

"You, of course, are free to go, Lieutenant," continued Kartok. "At least your ship will finally leave me in peace. And as I'm sure you are aware, because of your little plan your ship can transport you aboard. Though, I am afraid, your captain will have to stay here." He lifted his shirt an inch to show something on his belt buckle. "This cancels out all transporter beams. As long as she is with me," he squeezed her tighter to make his point, "she won't be going anywhere."

B'Elanna thought. She wasn't sure what to do. She obviously couldn't leave the captain here after coming so far, and yet it didn't seem like she would be able to leave at all if she didn't. If she didn't hurry, Chakotay would make her decision for her and she would be beamed aboard alone. The entire room stood at a standstill, waiting for her to make her decision.

"I don't have all day, Miss B'Elanna," Kartok said impatiently.

"Just go B'Elanna," pleaded Kathryn, "I'll be fine."

B'Elanna stared at the floor as she thought. Then, suddenly, she looked up. She looked at Kartok, looked at the phaser in her hand, and fired.

Kathryn fell limp in Kartok's arms.

He looked at her, shock written all over his face, then dropped her to the floor as he turned to B'Elanna in a rage.

"You have just made a _very_ foolish mistake."

"I don't think so," said B'Elanna with a wry grin. She tapped her phaser. "Latest technology: stun setting. You should really invest in some."

His jaw dropped as he realized what she meant. He jumped towards Kathryn's body, but it melted away as he got there. "No!" he shrieked. "NO!"

* * *

A/N: Okay so... I'm late and totally not impressed with this chapter. I might have to change it a little bit later, though the events will be the same. Just the wording will be a little different.

Only one more chapter! Keep the reviews coming until then! Not gonna put a time frame on this one since I want it to be perfect. But I promise it won't take more than a week.


	10. Chapter 10

Epilogue

A pair of eyes fluttered open. This change went unnoticed for a moment, giving Kathryn a second to establish her surroundings. She was in sickbay. She was lying on one of the cots, still wearing the same disheveled dress she had been wearing on Kartok's ship. _Speaking of which, what happened?_ Kathryn thought. She had been with B'Elanna…they had tried to take over engineering. Kartok had grabbed her and...and…oh! A surprised laugh escaped her lips. B'Elanna had stunned her! No wonder she hurt so badly. _Well, it worked,_ she thought as B'Elanna and the doctor, having heard her exclamation, rushed to her side.

"Captain! Are you alright?" asked B'Elanna.

Kathryn nodded, and groaned as she sat up. "I'll live."

The doctor fiddled with his tricorder, his air of superiority masking his true concern. "Everything seems to be normal, but I'd like to keep you here for a few hours at least. You took quite a blow."

"I won't argue with that," she said, adjusting her pillow so that she could sit up comfortably.

As the doctor spoke, B'Elanna looked away uncomfortably, and after he had finished she addressed Kathryn. "Captain, I—"

But Kathryn grabbed her hand and didn't allow her to finish. "B'Elanna, I would much rather be in sickbay on my own ship than healthy on the other one. Thank you." She let go of the other girl's hand and the doctor immediately shooed B'Elanna out, claiming that they both needed rest. But she wasn't alone for long, for as the doctor went into his office, Chakotay burst through the doors and made a beeline towards Kathryn.

"B'Elanna told me you were awake," he said as an explanation. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been stunned," she answered with a smile and a vague wave of her hand towards an adjacent bed.

Chakotay leaned on said bed and began to fill her in on what had happened during the rescue mission. "We noticed your bio signs as soon as the shields dropped, but we couldn't get a lock on you."

"Kartok was wearing something to jam the transporters," she explained briefly, "But why didn't you pull B'Elanna out?"

"That would be a great rescue mission," he said with a smile, "Save everyone except she who you originally intended to save." He continued on, answering the angry glint in her eyes with raised hands. "You weren't in charge; I didn't have to follow your orders."

She looked angry for only a second longer, then fell back on her pillows with a laugh. "I suppose I shouldn't have expected anything less cunning from you." Chakotay allowed a smile, but didn't say anything, so she asked "How long was I out?"

"Only about an hour." Anticipating her next question, he continued. "After B'Elanna stunned you, we transported you both to sickbay and went to warp. Most of the crew has been very anxious to see their captain back on the bridge, including me."

"Thank you, Commander." She glanced away with a faraway look in her eyes and sighed. "I just can't stop thinking about those girls."Chakotay shifted his weight and prepared to respond, but she pressed on with a shake of her head. "I know there's nothing we can do, but I don't think there will ever be a day when I don't wish there was."

"I wouldn't say that," Chakotay answered. "We coordinated the rescue with the government of the planet. They stormed the bridge as soon as we sent the signal, right after we got you out. Kartok is probably in jail right now."

At this point, the doctor looked up from whatever work he had been immersed in to see his patient clearly not resting. Chakotay saw his exasperated look as he stormed towards them, so he quickly said goodbye to the captain and made to leave. Before he got too far, Kathryn grabbed his arm and turned him around to look into his eyes.

"Thank you, Chakotay," she whispered. He nodded seriously, so she let him go. She hoped that her eyes had told him everything she couldn't.

This incident was never mentioned again. The crew of the_ Voyager_, after collectively greeting the Captain and at her unspoken request, acted as if nothing had happened. Everyone knew, though. Nobody ever mentioned it, but these events did not transpire without leaving some damage behind. For a while, the Captain would flinch and anyone's unexpected touch and she often became distracted, staring into space. But this telepathy of knowladge went both ways. While they felt her pain, Kathryn also felt the crew's understanding and sympathy. With their help, she began to recover. The nightmares stopped, she was able to look at a dress without any painful memories surfacing, and she was able to continue with the mission she had been rescued to lead: the safe return of her ship back to the Alpha Quadrant.

There had been one obvious conformation of the mutual feeling exchange between captain and crew, more than through eyes and smiles. The day after she was released from sickbay, she prepared for her first day back on the bridge. It was a relief to be back in her uniform again, and in charge instead of helpless. Having her hair back in its familiar bun was just one more reminder that things were back to normal. Still thinking this she walked through the doors.

"Captain on the bridge!" Kathryn was startled to hear Tuvok's voice. When she looked up, the crew, her friends, were standing, smiling, silently welcoming their captain home. She smiled back with tears in her eyes, but made it to her chair without incident. Settling into her chair, she crossed her legs and was overwhelmed by the familiar things in the room that she thought she would never see again. Still smiling, she decided that it was time to go home.

"Engage."

* * *

A/N: And so ends this tale of Kathryn. Any other changes will just be editing the other documents.

The last scene I got from "The 37's". It was actually perfect timing, I only watched it the other day and I don't know how I would have wrapped this up if I hadn't seen that!

You've all been so wonderful, I hope you've had as much fun reading this as I had writing it!


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